Ontario senior fights to save farm expropriated by military

Lisa Gibson is an activist and supporter of long-time Quinte West farmer Frank Meyers. She is here with Meyers as he empties out one of his barns before expected demolition crews arrive on site Monday morning, Jan. 13, 2014. JEROME LESSARD /QMI Agency

Ernst Kuglin, QMI Agency

Jan 14, 2014

, Last Updated: 3:41 PM ET

BELLEVILLE, Ont. — Protesters have vowed to continue their fight to save Frank Meyers’ ancestral farm even as demolition crews prepare to tear it down.

A 220-acre parcel of land south of the CN tracks on Meyers Creek Road in Quinte West in eastern Ontario was expropriated by the federal government in August 2012. It will be part of a 900-acre training facility for Joint Task Force 2, just north of CFB Trenton.

Protesters watched from the CN tracks and stayed overnight to keep an eye on the property.

Meyers signed off on a compensation offer from the federal government last December when family members went to Toronto to meet with federal officials.

His son John Meyers said the family has yet to receive any money from the government.

“We went up to see if we could have this stopped,” John Meyers said. “Public Works Government Services Canada said there was nothing we could do to stop it. I would not say that we signed off in good faith.”

Meyers said there was a lot of “pressure” when it came to signing.

“It’s very sad that it’s come down to this,” Meyers said. “This is like a death in the family.”

The defence department has posted “no trespassing” signs on the expropriated property.

Activist Lisa Gibson created the Facebook page Save Frank and Marjorie Meyers Farm, which has more than 19,000 followers.

On Monday, Gibson spoke to the small crowd of protesters from the step of the tractor driven by Frank Meyers.

She said Meyers was “bullied and intimidated” into signing the compensation offer.

“He signed under duress,” Gibson said. “What kind of country puts a man through that. This country is way out of control.”